Images In Dock

Question

Most of the files in my doc are word files and I have a lot of them, so my dock ends up being one long string of work files. Is there any way to replace the standard page-looking icon with some images or something else?
Any help would be appreciated?

Answer 1

Hi, engboy —
Please accept a warm welcome to Apple Discussions.
  (1) Consider using a Dock folder. Before I answer your question directly, I hope you won't mind if I suggest an alternate approach. If reducing Dock clutter is your primary objective, using a Dock folder may be more helpful than spending time changing icons. Here's what I mean: create a folder — let's call it "Miscellaneous Word files" — with or without a custom icon (see below). Then, instead of minimizing the MS Word files into the Dock, save (or drag-and-drop) them into this folder. Drag the folder's icon into the right side of the Dock. Now, when you want to open one of the Word files, click-and-hold this file's Dock icon (actually called its "Dock tile") and a "pop-up" list of all the files will pop up for selection. You can also do this hierarchically (for files within folders within folders, etc.) — I have a Dock tile for my Documents folder, for example.
If you intended to say "work files" —> I'd think that Word (or whatever app) could be forced to temporarily save its interim files in this folder, too — depending on the files being located here, and how you've set up the app's "save" preferences... Sorry, I'm not using MS Word at the moment, so I can't test this...
 Does this make sense? Imho, it works with a lot less effort.
  (2) Changing files' or folders' icons. Doing this is pretty easy, but requires a few steps (&/or a shareware or commercialware utility). Pick and copy (⌘-C) an appropriate icon. Next, select the file whose icon you want to change, and "Get Info" (⌘-I). Click on the small icon at the top of the Get Info window, and paste (⌘-P) in the "new" icon to replace it. Sites like ResExcellence exist solely to help folks with customization like this. Personally, I used to a lot of customizing in OS 9.1.x (and many OS before it) — but I've pretty much stopped in OS X, because a lot of customizations can subtly cause problems systemically, or after an OS X upgrade has been applied. Rather than "keep track" so I can troubleshoot, I've simply curbed my appetite in this arena.
Imo, Francine Schwieder (an especially savvy Discussions participant) does a particularly good job of explaining about icons, their peculiarities, and some of the situations that may require special care. Here are a few of her posts/threads that I recommend you checking out if you decide to do a lot of playing with icons: ( A ), ( B ), ( C ), ( D ), ( E ). You may also find it worthwhile to review results of a search of this forum for, e.g., [ (change OR changing) (icon OR icons) ].
I hope these alternate approaches are useful to you.
Hey, Where Y'at! from a former resident of da Lower Nint' Ward,
Dean